Why Extreme E's Senegal round hints at the series' true potential

Extreme E's second round on the sands of Senegal refined some the more clunky aspects of the series' debut event in Saudi Arabia. Even though its star-studded finale between Lewis Hamilton's X44 team and Rosberg X Racing proved anticlimactic, the pieces are in place for the series to only get better

Epic locations, thrilling car chases and executives who possess more than a passing interest in (the) Amazon. There are just about enough similarities to draw comparison between Extreme E and the James Bond film franchise. And that's before mentioning the RMS St. Helena 'floating paddock' that freights the championship's cargo from one venue to the next. No hollowed-out volcano, but it surely has all the credentials of a nautical villain's lair.

Stretch the analogy a little further and an inaugural event for the all-electric SUV off-road racing series in Saudi Arabia back in April was akin to Dr. No releasing in 1962. A fine entry but perhaps a touch plain with no overtakes coming beyond the first corner of each race. Nevertheless, it provided a sound enough platform upon which to tinker with the idea.

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Author Matt Kew

Matt Kew is Autosport's F1 Editor, a role he has held since March 2022 after stints covering Formula E, Extreme E and the British Touring Car Championship.

Matt joined Autosport in 2018 to work predominantly on the magazine, but his relentless quoting of Alan Partridge meant office colleagues soon thought he would be better suited to increased field work.

Needless to say, Matt had the last laugh when he won the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2019.

His interest in motorsport was sparked by regular trips to watch ASCAR crash around Rockingham's banked oval.

Matt read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield - receiving first-class honours for his dissertation assessing the lack of female participation in top-tier motor racing.

He covered a wide variety of national race and rally meetings for Autosport as a freelancer before joining full-time. His best efforts to argue the merits of historic racing is undone by a questionable taste in music and James Bond actors.